The Taichung branch of the Taiwan High Court (台灣高等法院) yesterday upheld the May decision by the Miaoli District Court to annul the election of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lee Yi-ting (李乙廷) on charges of vote buying.
The verdict is final.
In response, KMT legislative caucus whip Chang Sho-wen (張碩文) said the verdict highlighted the need to amend the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法) and said he regretted that Lee didn’t have the chance to appeal the decision in a third court hearing.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said the DPP is opposed to a proposal submitted by KMT Legislator Lin Tsang-min (林滄敏) that Article 127 of the law be amended so that election-related lawsuits can be taken to a third trial.
Ker also said that the amendment would be unacceptable to the public and that the DPP would “oppose it all the way.”
Lee, who was elected in Miaoli County’s First District, was accused of letting campaign aides give cash and gifts to temples and organizations in the district between June and October last year while Lee or his campaign aides asked for their support while wearing election vests.
In annulling the election on May 29, the Miaoli Court found that the actions of Lee and his campaign aides were sufficient to influence voters and were an attempt to secure Lee’s election, which violates the first clause of Article 102 in the Public Officials Election and Recall Act.
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